Francesca McAuliffe of Staten Island set a new personal record of 4 hours, 41 minutes, 34 seconds when she crossed the finish line on December 1 after running 26.2 miles in the bright city of Valencia, Spain.
Some people may find the miles of both flying and racing intimidating, but for McAuliffe, the mix of running and traveling the world has changed his life.
Years after competing in cross-country at Susan Wagner High School, McAuliffe fell deeply in love with running.
One of the physical education teachers at New Dorp High School, Mrs. Rosado, suggested that we sign up for a half marathon when I first started teaching there. I informed her that I believed I could manage that. We trained together after I signed up for an hour and a half, and McAuliffe remarked, “I just loved it.”
Before deciding she was ready to increase to a full 26.2, McAuliffe ran around 20 more half marathons since she loved the experience so much.
Francesca’s husband, Tim, who is a member of the Staten Island sporting dynasty, told her about the Abbott World Majors through a friend after she finished the New York City Marathon in 2019. She immediately embarked on a quest to finish them all.
I thought, “Oh, wow, this looks like an amazing experience, and I’d love to do all six,” after learning about the Majors. I promised myself that I would pursue it and observe the outcome.
McAuliffe overcame the difficulty of beginning her marathon running career right before the COVID-19 pandemic by finishing the Chicago Marathon in October 2021 and then traveling across the pond to compete in London in the fall of 2022.
In addition to being McAuliffe’s first marathon abroad, London held particular significance for her since, in the run-up to the race, she raised money for Breakthrough T1D, previously the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.
Regarding her fundraising efforts, which raised thousands of dollars for diabetes research, McAuliffe remarked, “That was really meaningful to me.”
Since receiving a type 1 diabetes diagnosis at the age of four, McAuliffe has not allowed her illness to stop her from pursuing her running objectives.
I believe that I make roughly 100 more decisions every day than the average person since I have to manage my numbers, eat healthily, make sure I get enough sleep, exercise regularly, and make sure I take all of my meds on time. However, I’ve never allowed that to stop me from doing anything.
I have to be extremely focused on it at all times since doing so makes everyone’s life better. She went on, “I kind of wish that everyone would make sure that they get enough sleep and that they are mindful of what they’re putting into their bodies.”
After London, she is now halfway through the World Marathon Majors. She finished Tokyo in March 2023, but Boston was just a month later, causing her to suffer yet another setback.
I had to have extensive surgery after a bad crash off my bike. McAuliffe informed me that I required twelve staples because I had broken my ulna.
“You are definitely not running Boston,” the physician informed me. “No, I’m definitely running Boston,” I replied. After they removed the staples, I finished the race eighteen days later, she added.
McAuliffe and the city of Boston shown resilience by running the marathon on the tenth anniversary of the horrible bombing at the finish line, which created an amazing racing atmosphere.
“It was just amazing to see the entire city come together, see the flowers, and feel the energy of Boston Strong,” she said.
On September 24, 2023, Staten Island marathoner Francesca McAuliffe completed the Berlin Marathon, completing the coveted World Major Marathon circuit. The image was provided by Francesca McAuliffe.McAuliffe, Francesca
The final stop on the itinerary was Berlin in September 2023, which also happened to be McAuliffe’s first year as P.S. 55 principal.
It was pleasant to return and present the medal to every pupil. When they inquired as to whether I had won the race, I replied, “Definitely not!” McAuliffe laughed and added.
As she embarked on her new career as an educator, McAuliffe, who had just completed the incredibly remarkable World Marathon Majors, urged pupils to choose an activity that inspired them as much as running motivates her.
The more you do after school, the more fulfilling the entire school experience is, in my opinion. It’s really lovely to be able to work together with colleagues and a coach.
Since participation in sports sometimes requires academic eligibility, it also forces kids to concentrate on their studies. She went on to say that if you truly love and care about something and you want to represent your team, you also need to make sure that your math, English language arts, biology, and history scores are in the right range.
After setting a personal record at the Valencia event, McAuliffe has now run 13 marathons overall as of December 2024, and she has no intention of slowing down in 2025.
I’m currently pursuing the five Spanish marathons known as La Cinco Grandes. In addition to Austin in February, Barcelona in March, Paris in April, and Atlantic City in October, she stated that she hopes to be chosen for the Sydney Marathon, which was just added to the World Marathon Majors circuit.
McAuliffe has been a shining example of the perseverance and commitment needed to be a marathon runner, whether it’s in her own neighborhood of New York or overseas. With a lot more events coming up, she’s far from hanging up her shoes just yet.
Note: Every piece of content is rigorously reviewed by our team of experienced writers and editors to ensure its accuracy. Our writers use credible sources and adhere to strict fact-checking protocols to verify all claims and data before publication. If an error is identified, we promptly correct it and strive for transparency in all updates, feel free to reach out to us via email. We appreciate your trust and support!
+ There are no comments
Add yours